Clutch mechanism



NOV. 10, 1936. Ei J, CARLETON 2,060,175

CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed Sep. 26, 1934 4 BY v ,2 I by ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a clutch mechanism and has as its principal object the provision of a clutch mechanism which includes means for disconnecting the clutch members, suniciently rapid and positive in operation to meet the requirement of safety devices, where it is essential that the clutch shall be disengaged promptly and automatically in response to the operation of the safety mechanism.

Other and further objects residing in the details of construction will be apparent from the following specification and claims:

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is an end view of the device including certain elements oi a safety device;

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. l showing the clutch members in engaged position; y

Fig. 3 is a sectional view substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. fi is a side view of the driven clutch member and the clutch disengaging member;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the driving member of the clutch;

Fig. 6 is a view of the movable clutch element of the structure shown in Fig. 5 looking from the left of said figure;

Fig. 7 is a view of the opposite side of the element shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detail side View of the fixed element of the driving member of the clutch;

Fig. 9 is a view of the element shown in Fig. 8 looking from the left of said figure; and

Fig. 10 is a side View of the clutch assembly when in disengaged position.

Referring to the drawing, I0 designates a shaft which for convenience of reference is called the driven shaft and to which driven clutch member I I is secured as by a pin I2. Member I I is formed with a plurality of radially extending lugs or projections I3, the outer portions of which are shouldered to approximately half their depth to form arcuate bearing surfaces I4 and flanges I5. An annular disc I6 is mounted to rotate freely on the bearing surfaces I4, the flanges I5 engaging the surface of the disc I6 adjacent its inner periphery as best shown in Fig. 2, and forming cam engaging surfaces as later described. The disc I6 is provided with a plurality of arcuate cam members I'I formed by striking up parts of the inner peripheral portion of the disc. The number, position and circumferential dimensions of the cam members II correspond to the spaces I8 formed between anges I5 and as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are normally positioned in said spaces with the flanges I5 in engagement with the intervening smooth face of the disc.

The driving member of the clutch includes an annular member 2 positioned on the opposite side of disc I6 from cams il and provided with lingers 2| which normally extend into the spaces 22 between the inner periphery of disc It and member I I so as to engage the sides of lugs I3 as shown in Fig. 1. Member is further provided with a plurality of oppositely extending iingers 23 adapted to slide in grooves Z- formed in the peripheral surface of a dog 25 provided with a squared extension 26 fitting in a squared recess 2l of the driving shaft 23. A coiled spring 30 is positioned between dog 25 and member 25 normally holding portions 20 of the member 20 against disc I6 and fingers 2l in driving engagement with lugs i3. A groove 3l formed in dog 25 retains the spring in position. As will be clear from Fig. 2, the spring 30 holds the member 20 and dog 25 spaced a distance from each other slightly in excess of the length of fingers 2l, the fingers 25 being of suicient length toI maintain their engagement in grooves 24 in all relative positions of member 20 and dog 25.

Figs. l and 2 show the clutch members in driving relation and it will be seen that rotation imparted to dog 25 by shaft 28 is transmitted through grooves 24 and fingers 23 to member 20 which in turn through ngers 2| drives member I i which is secured to shaft I0. It will be noted that the driving connection is directly from member 20 to member I I through the opening in disc I6 and that the latter resting freely on bearing surfaces Ill rotates with member II.

If disc IG is held against rotation, or upon angular displacement between the disc and the anges I5 the clutch members are automatically disengaged as shown in Fig. 10 in the following manner. With disc I6 held stationary, or its rotation advanced or retarded with respect to the clutch members, continued constant rotation o-f member II causes flanges I5 to engage cam members I'I, thereby moving the disc I6 transversely along bearing surfaces i4 and forcing member 2 against the action of spring 30 to the position shown in Fig. 10, thus withdrawing iingers 2! from driving engagement with lugs I3.

As long as disc I6 is held stationary cams I 'I will remain engaged with anges I5, since member I I of course comes to rest as soon as fingers 2| are withdrawn, and member 20 will rotate idly against the stationary surface of disc I6. As shown, the height of cams I'I is such that the clutch members are disengaged and member Il is brought to rest with the iianges l5 on the inclined portion of the cam surface so that when disc I6 is released it is automatically returned to original position by the action of spring 30. Obviously, if the rotation of the disc is advanced or retarded rather than stopped, the cams ll would traverse the flanges to effect reengagement of the clutch members.

Any suitable braking or other means may be employed to restrain the rotation of disc I6, and such means may be operative in response to safety means, time controlled means designed to control a sequence of operation, or in response to manual operation. In the drawing disc I6 is shown provided around its outer edge with a plurality of recesses 35. A pivoted bar 36 carrying a lug 37 is normally held spaced above the disc by a hood or latch 38 as shown in dotted line in Fig. l. When hook 38 is withdrawn by the operation of a safety device or other actuating means, not shown, bar 36 descends under the action of spring 39 causing lug 3l to engage in the first recess 35 presented by the disc in its rotation, thus locking disc I6 against further rotation. It will be obvious that if desired the disengagement of the clutch could be made to always take place at a specic point or points in the rotation of the shaft l0 by properly positioning one or more recesses 35 on the periphery of the disc i6.

It will of course be understood that the clutch members may be secured to the shafts in various ways and that the clutch members may be modified to meet the requirements of such differing securing means or various desired arrangements of the shafts, without departing from the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A clutch comprising two clutch members adapted to be respectively secured to driving and driven members, yielding means acting to press the driving clutch member into driving engagement with the driven clutch member, a bearing formed on the driven clutch member, an annular disc rotatably mounted on said bearing and having one face in engagement with the driving member of the clutch, a cam formed on the opposite face of the disc, and a cam surface carried by the driven clutch member positioned to be circumierentially olset from said cam when the clutch members are in engagement and engageable with said cam to move the driving member of the clutch out of engagement with the driven clutch member upon angular displacement between the disc and the driven clutch member.

2. A clutch comprising a driven clutch member having a hub portion provided with spaced radially extending lugs, the ends of each lug being shouldered to form a bearing surface with a ange at one side thereof, an annular disc rotatably mounted on said bearing surfaces, cam members struck up from the disc, said cam members normally positioned between the flange portions of the lugs, a driving clutch member having a plurality of ngers projecting from one side thereof adapted to extend through the central opening of the annular dise and into engagement with the radial lugs of the driven clutch member, a plurality of fingers extending from the opposite face of the driving clutch member, a dog having recesses in which the last named ngers slidably engage, and a spring positioned between said dog and the driving clutch member to normally hold the latter in driving engagement with the driven clutch member, and radially extending portions on the driving clutch member engaging the face of the annular disc member, said cam members being of suicient thickness to cause disengagement of the rst named fingers and lugs when engaged by said anges upon angular displacement between the annular disc and the driven clutch member.

EMILE J. CARLETON. 

